Sweet Land (2005)

Director:

Ali Selim

Writers:

Will Weaver (short story "A Gravestone Made of Wheat") and
Ali Selim (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A love story

Plot:

Set in 1920, Inge travels from Germany to rural Minnesota meet the man destined to be her husband. Bureaucracy and social morality cause major complications.

Plot Keywords:

Dancing | Death Of Grandfather | Old Woman | Doctor | Women's Rights

Awards:

6 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Elizabeth Reaser	...	Young Inge
Lois Smith	...	Old Inge
Patrick Heusinger	...	Young Lars
Stephen Pelinski	...	Old Lars
Tim Guinee	...	Young Olaf
Robert Hogan	...	Old Olaf
Alan Cumming	...	Young Frandsen
Paul Sand	...	Old Frandsen
Jodie Markell	...	Donna Torvik
Sage Kermes	...	Mae Torvik
Kirsten Frantzich	...	Lee
Stephen Yoakam	...	Einar Torvik
Karen Landry	...	Rose Torvik
James Cada	...	Minister Thorwald
Debbie DeLisi	...	Sarah Torvik

Also Known As:

Wedding Photo (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for brief partial nudity and mild language.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Norwegian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Dawson, Minnesota, USA

Company:

120dB Films

Trivia:

Most of the Norwegian and German was not scripted, but made up by the actors during filming and is gibberish.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Even without the use of a mechanical thresher, Inge and Olav would have had horse-drawn machinery to harvest and thresh corn in the 1920s. Harvesting corn by hand scythe and threshing it by hand are outdated techniques by the year 1880, much less 1920.

Quotes:

Brownie: You hungry? hungry?
[rubs stomach]
Inge: I could eat a horse.
Brownie: Well we could find dat.

Movie Connections:

References The Godfather (1972)

Excellent film from a new talent in Hollywood, Hurray!

This film is marvelous, I was able to have a sneak peak as a student here at the U of M because my teacher (Tom Pope) actually aided in the screenplay of this wonderful debut. Avoiding all the clichés of a typical Hollywood romance, this one doesn't go strait for the tear ducts but if it doesn't warm those puppies up by the end than you're a heartless person. Excellent cast, story and directing, I cannot wait till this is out there for the public. There was a Q&A afterward with the director (Ali) and the producers, and it was so interesting to hear and see their processes in their own words, wonderful men who deserve all the success in the world with this film, a great movie for all ages, truly original and moving.